Compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs contain cancer-causing chemicals including mercury, but they are harmless to health as long as they remain unbroken, said Ali Gourani head of the Health Ministry’s Department for Radiation. “Safely handling CFLs and properly disposing used or broken ones will ensure that the mercury in it will not be released into the environment,” Mehr News Agency quoted him as saying. People must seriously avoid touching a broken CFL, and carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with a cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag, he cautioned.
